The Mages' Manifesto
by redrosemary
Summary: Hawke tried to find a balance between fighting for mages' rights and keeping Anders's sanity. Knight-Captain Cullen discovers an interesting manuscript in the Champion's library. COMPLETE.
1. 1 - Cullen

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Please read the disclaimer at the end. Also, Bioware, and the respective authors of the works I've cited, own what they respectively own.

* * *

**Cullen**

Cullen finds himself walking towards the ruin that just days ago was the Kirkwall Chantry, and decides that there's nothing interesting there. So he takes a few steps towards Anna Hawke's estate, and as fate would have it, the door's ajar. Apparently, all its inhabitants—Anna Hawke, her revolutionary lover Anders, and all their servants—have left.

"What in the Maker's name have I got to lose?" he asks himself, and enters. "Anna Hawke is famous for a lot of things, not the least of which are her riches. And riches aren't always measured in gold and jewels."

His feet take him to Anna's desk, still cramped with letters from investors, her business partner Hubert, Orsino, distraught mages, grateful nobles, potioneers and rune makers, Meredith, and all those other unfortunate souls crying to her for help. His own letter about Guard Captain Aveline is also here. Not really interesting, in the grand scheme of things. He moves along.

Anna's library is full: histories, legends from all around, children's books, healing treaties and grimoires, a couple of apocryphal texts. He chuckles as he realizes that the Champion of Kirkwall, for all her brawns, has a taste for books. He finds a copy of _The Book of Shartan_ and a Dalish _Tome of Slumbering Elders,_ books which can hardly be bought in the Hightown Market.

But a particular manuscript catches his eye. If this is what he thinks it is, then he may be close to understanding why the mage-templar mess occurred, and how it can be resolved.

* * *

_**The Mages' Manifesto**_

_A specter is haunting Southern Thedas—the specter of Mage Rights. All the powers of the old system have entered into a holy alliance to exorcise this specter: the Divine and the Templars, Kings and Queen, Princes and Empresses, even the elusive Seekers._

_1\. The Movement for Mage Rights should be acknowledged by Thedosian powers to be a power in itself._

_2\. It is high time that the mages be recognized as people. We mages should be able to publish our views, and live our lives in a society that does not condemn us for our gifts._

_**Chapter I. Mages and Non-Mages**_

_The History of Southern Thedas, as it now exists, is the history of the oppression of mages._

_Mages and the Chantry, in a word, oppressed and oppressor, stand in struggle against one another. So long as the Chantry refuses to acknowledge that mages have a right to be free people, like it has denounced slavery, then the struggle continues._

_Andraste suffered at the hands of the magisters. Thus, she feared the influence of magic. But if the Maker himself blamed magic for the magisters' actions in the Black City, why would he still gift us with it? The oppression of mages stems from the fears of men, not from the will of the Maker._

_The modern Southern Thedosian society that has sprouted after the death of Andraste has not done away with the fear of mages. Rather, it has established the demonization of those gifted with magic, with the Chantry spearheading ignorance and hostility against even mage-children, so much so that parents voluntarily send their magical children away, and sometimes treat them with violence as well._

_Andraste died on the stake, and with her died the secret of her being a mage, as the Imperial Chantry decrees, or not, as the Southern Chantry preaches. She did not leave a coherent book regarding the Maker's wishes, or how to abolish slavery, or how to set up religious services solely dedicated to the Maker. No. Andraste's followers, the precursor of the Chantry, stole not just Her ashes from the Imperium, but also her teachings. They sang Her songs and gave new meaning to them: _magic is meant to serve man and never to rule over him_ is now meant to oppress the mages by placing them in slave-like conditions in the Circles. To think that Andraste waged war on the Imperium to free slaves!_

_Eventually, young King Drakon of Orlais, seeking to consolidate his power, took a series of Exalted Marches to unite warring tribes into an empire solely dedicated to the Maker's will—or what he thought was the Maker's will. He, and not the Maker, created the Circle of Magi, the Order of Templars, and the Holy Office of the Divine. And it is through the Circle and the Templars that the Chantry culls those mages it deems weak, rebellious, or different, and strip their emotions and the essence of what they are through the Rite of Tranquility. Innumerable mages have been branded on their foreheads, stripped of what made them individuals with their own personalities, because of some fault or fear of the Chantry. And while it is true that some mages use forbidden blood magic and dally with demons, the Chantry remains unchecked on their use of the Rite. What is disturbing about the Tranquil are not just their lack of emotion or desire, but that some mages voluntarily seek this rite as a means to be more pleasing to a mage-hating society._

_Modern Southern Thedosian society has embraced and accepted the Circle of Magi. Some Circle mages even regard their entire existence with their respective Circles, accepting their lot in life, tolerating the many abuses of the Templars, of the Chantry, and of the world, because they are mages. They forget themselves, that they are still people, with the ability to love, and to feel, and to exist peacefully._

* * *

Cullen slams the book shut, as if fearing that the Knight-Commander would see him reading such a heretical treatise, until he remembers that the Knight-Commander is now a red statue in the Gallows courtyard.

How can a madman, a mass murderer, an abomination, _think_, let alone _compile his thoughts_ cohesively in a book? Cullen ponders. What led Anders, Anders for the Maker's sake, who used to pet mousers back in Kinloch Hold, who used to treat people for free in Darktown, down to this road?

Oh, to be young again, and idealistic, back in time before Uldred's madness, when he was a stuttering Templar who thought that mages were people, too, before reality crashed down on him and he realized that mages, who are ever vulnerable to demons, ought not to be considered as people…

…but are they not people who deserve to be treated as people?

Cullen remembers a line from the only Orlesian play he's seen: _If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?_

There we go, he thinks. The mages have indeed been wronged. And now, they revenged.

The templar sighs, and braves the book again, to the Void what the Chantry wants to book-burn. Maybe, just maybe, he can learn from this…

* * *

**DISCLAIMER**: I have based _The Mages' Manifesto_ from Karl Marx's _The Communist Manifesto_, because I have noted similarities with the mages' plight and the overworked laborers' plight during the Industrial Revolution. But note that this is a work of fiction. It does not promote, uphold, degrade, antagonize, or denounce ideologies. Also, William Shakespeare wrote that "do we not bleed" line.

Please tell me what you think, and if I should continue!


	2. 2 - Hawke

**Hawke**

"Come on, now, Anders," Anna coaxed the man scribbling furiously. "You haven't slept in over forty-eight hours."

"I had a lot of patients, Anna," Anders replied without looking up. "Little Matt would have died if I didn't attend to him."

"You have been writing that flaming Manifesto for twenty-four hours before Matt's mother came to the clinic," Anna pointed out. She looked through the papers Anders had written, and decided that she would have to rewrite pages where his quill blots had rendered certain words unreadable.

"But it wasn't just Matt who's sick, Anna, it was also his brothers, even if they didn't show the symptoms yet," Anders reasoned frantically. "I healed all of them."

"And that's a good thing, Anders," Anna cooed. "Just one of the many good things that you do. But you won't be able to do good things if you don't get rest. Come now. It's such an un-Maker-ly hour. Also, the Viscount is expecting me tomorrow."

"Rest is for the weak," a darker voice counters. "The Mages' Manifesto needs to be written."

Anna saw the blue cracks of light in her lover's face. Undaunted, she stared right back at the glowing eyes.

"Your human body still needs rest," she said defiantly in a voice that can send grown men sobbing to their mothers. "I'll continue work on the manuscript, but you will go to bed. _Now_."

* * *

A furious and heavy script wrote:

_**Chapter II. Mages and the Movement for Mages' Rights**_

_In what relation does the Mages' Rights Movement stand to the mages as a whole, all manners of apostates and Circle mages both? _

_The Movement for Mages' Rights is not opposed to apostasy. But neither do we wholly disregard the need for mages' education in the proper uses of magic. _

_We have no separate interest other than having mages lead independent, dignified lives. We are only distinguished from the Circle in these: _

_1\. That we seek __**autonomy**__ and __**self-governance**__. We hold the use of Blood Magic as evil and forbidden, especially when it drains life, or the blood of the unwilling is used as fuel for evil magics. _

_2\. We do not hold all magical researches from non-Chantry sources as heretical. We acknowledge that __**we have a lot to learn from Shamans, Hedge Mages, Dalish Keepers, and other apostates**__.__ We also grant that not all magical lore from Tevinter or the Dalish are inherently evil. But we still emphasize that we do not retort to Blood Magic. _

_The Movement for Mages' Rights believes that __MAGIC IS MEANT TO SERVE MAN AND NEVER TO RULE OVER HIM.__ However, we maintain that magic is a tool, in the same way that a sword, a kitchen knife, an anvil, and a pen are tools. Swords do not dictate where they shall strike, kitchen knives do not give orders on what to slice, anvils do not forge on their own, and pens do not write of their own accord. Rather, it is the soldier who wields the sword and decides what to strike. The cook chooses what to slice with the knife. The smith selects what to forge with the anvil. And the writer decides what to commit to paper with the pen. Is magic any different? Mages control the flow of mana, and shape it to their will. And just like soldiers, cooks, smiths and writers need to hone their craft through education and practice, so do mages need to learn how to wield magic. _

A different, more elegant script added: _There is no one true way to wield magic, in the same way that there is no one true way to wield a sword. Remember that a sword could be used as easily as to defend people as to harm them. Magic is the same. Mages can heal and cast protective spells as easily as they can strike lightning or scorch the ground. Just as a Chasind warrior differs in wielding a sword from an Orlesian chevalier, so do mages from different corners of Thedas vary in techniques of wielding their power. And just as a bandit with a sword can end lives, so can a mage with impure intentions hurt others._

The first handwriting resumed: _The immediate aim of the Movement is the same as most Circle mages' and apostates'. We need to live free, but we also need to learn. How do we do this? _

And the second hand answered:_ A possible solution would be to have mages congregate and learn from each other in a safe and secure place, where the Chantry, the Templars, and even the fearful common folk do not see us as mere sacs for demons. Mages need to learn how to protect themselves from the allure of demons and Blood Magic, in an environment that accepts their talents and respects their dignity. _

* * *

"Anna, did you alter the Manifesto?" Anders groaned from beneath the blankets, as the first rays of daylight seeped through the windows.

"Hmm?" the red-headed woman yawned. "I've added a line or two. You should read it later. Go back to bed."

Anna muttered a quick spell, and the curtains blocked the sunlight.

"Is it consistent with the entire work, love?" Anders asked, fully awake.

"How dare you, Ser!" she answered with mock seriousness. "Just because I've never been in a Circle, doesn't mean my mother and father never taught me how to write."

"You're an apostate who's never been in the Circle, and thus, you've never known what it's like," he retorted.

Anna sat up, all sleepiness gone. "What's going on, Anders? Why this hostility?"

"Hostility, Anna?" he questioned. "I'm giving a fair query. What do you know of our plight?"

"Are we really having this conversation? After all I've done for the mages? For you?" Anna inquired, half pleadingly and half heatedly. "After what that monster did to my own mother?"

Anders was silent for a while. He looked at her with cold fury in his eyes, before he realized what was going on and covered his face with his hands.

"Anna, my love, my darling, I'm so sorry," he sobbed, too embarrassed to meet her gaze again. "I don't know what came over me."

"Sometimes, I don't know either," Anna answered, even if she had an idea what.

Sharing one's bed, one's home, one's heart, with another, was not necessarily bad. It could even be favorable for both parties involved. Or not, depending on the partners.

But sharing one's mind? Sure, Anders would never have conjured even half of his thoughts without Justice, if what he'd said was to be believed. But Anna had her doubts regarding the extent of the benefits of Anders' and Justice's sharing of one mind.

Anna decided to table this discussion for later. She got up and proceeded to the washbasin without so much a glance to the man in her bed. She had to prepare for her meeting with the Viscount, no doubt relating to the Qunari again.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Thank you for the reviews and feedback! Questions about the timeline? Concrit? Feel free to tell me. :)


	3. 3 - Cullen

**Chapter 3 – Cullen **

**A/N:** I've rewritten the second chapter slightly. Not much change of plot, more of a change in style.

* * *

Cullen knows that Anna Hawke is not just the Champion of Kirkwall, but also the champion of the mages. She's made that evident throughout her decade in the city, taking under her wing what mages she could find. It's quite a bold move, even if she weren't an apostate. He admires her as greatly as the red statue in the Gallows found her infuriating.

Has Hawke been doing for the mages what the Templars ought to be doing themselves?

The Manifesto, unlike Hawke's other books, is purely handwritten. And in a furious and heavy script, too. Some words are written so large that ten words fill a ten-inch page, but sometimes, the script gets too small that Cullen has to narrow his eyes to read them. He traces the letters at the back of each page, thinking that maybe, just maybe, madness and genius could be the two sides of the same coin. Or page.

Cullen notices, however, that a second script, more level and elegant than the first, complements the second chapter of the Manifesto. He flips through the book. Towards the end, he sees that entire pages have been written in the uneven, furious hand, but certain pages seem to have been rewritten in the elegant script.

Cullen laughs hollowly. Anders may have been the mad mage, but the Champion could've given Tethras a run for his money if she set her mind to it.

Not that the Champion would garner a large readership if her involvement with the mage rebellion is known. Or that any sane publisher would agree to publish this.

* * *

This portion is written in a level, elegant script.

**_Chapter III – Various Literature on the Circles of Magi _**

**_1\. Of Rivain _**

_"Let a hundred flowers bloom, let a thousand schools of thought contend," so wrote Maodi in 8:54 of the Blessed Age. _

_First Enchanter Maodi of Rivain ascribed herself to have believed in the Maker and Andraste. She and her followers did not see that their shamanic roots and faith in Andraste and the Maker were contradictory. They rejoiced in their culture that blends shamanic practices, elven tradition, seafaring, and even elements of the Qun and Tevinter. She and her fellow Rivaini mages believe that magic is taught best when taught by their tribe in a loving fashion. _

_Divine Faustine I, however, denounced First Enchanter Maodi and her followers as heretics. The Chantry itself admits that it has little reach in Rivain, which is rather unsurprising, what with the presence of the Qun and the nation's strong Felicissima Armada. These two are probably the only reason why the Chantry and the powers-that-be in Orlais do not declare an Exalted March against Rivain. _

_The Divine wanted to execute and make an example of these Rivaini heretics in Val Royeaux. However, First Enchanter Maodi and her followers were never found. It is likely that the Rivaini Templars themselves helped these progressive mages hide among the local populace, where they were revered as seers and protectors of the people._

_Much of First Enchanter Maodi's writings have been burned, but if one knows who to ask, they would receive, if they seek, they would find, and that if they knock, the door would be opened._

**_2\. Of Nevarra_**

_Nevarra is famous—or infamous—for its warlike culture, immense wealth, and dragon hunters. _

_A little less famous are Nevarran death mages, or Mortalitasi as they are known locally. They are known to wield considerable political power as advisers to the nobility, even if under the aegis of the Chantry. This is likely because the Nevarran nobility have a unique fascination with the dead, whom they do not cremate but mummify them lovingly. _

_And because the Nevarran nobility and royalty support the Mortalitasi, these mages are the most educated and well-schooled outside the Tevinter Imperium. _

_Nevarran mages, like their Rivaini cousins, are not the chained mages of Orlais, Ferelden and the Free Marches. However, they are still under Chantry control, meaning that they undergo the Harrowing. Those suspected of blood magic and other wrongs suffer severe penalties. This, however, is very unlikely, for the Mortalitasi are valued for their craft and their wisdom. Unlike First Enchanter Maodi of Rivain, who was a brilliant but rural Shaman, these mages enjoy the patronage of the third most powerful nation in Thedas. This ensures their freedom, their lives, and the pursuit of their talents. _

_The example set by Rivain and Nevarra is a good one. Mages could live free, but still be educated as to the use of their powers. They could take the role of healers and protectors, advisers and craftsmen. With their powers of ice and fire, earth and wind, they could aid a lot in agriculture, exploration, and other advances. Whether it is in agriculture and seafaring, or exploration and industry, mages are vital in society. Not all mages are the haughty, blood-seeking magisters of Tevinter whom the Chantry preaches about so ardently. _

**_3\. Antiva_**

_(Note: Research more about Antivan mages.–AH)_

**_4\. The Dalish_**

_(Note: Ask Merrill nicely about it. Or Keeper Marethari! Bring food basket and notebook and quill.__–AH__)_

* * *

"How in the Maker's name did Anna Hawke, Champion though she is of Kirkwall, learn so much about foreign mages?" Cullen asks out loud.

He laughs, noting that in his long service to the Chantry—yes, anything more than ten years is long service for men like him –he has never met any Templar from Rivain or Nevarra. He's always attributed that to Kinloch Hold and the Gallows as being places too unsightly for tourism or even Templar conferences.

He turns the page, and scowls a little when he sees the uneven, heavy script again.

* * *

**_5\. Of Orlais, Ferelden and the Free Marches_**

_These nations, though differing in politics and history, treat mages as prisoners of the Chantry, a force to be fearful of, ever vulnerable to corruption and demonic possession. _

_It must be remembered that the Empire of Orlais once had dominion over Ferelden and the Free Marches, and so the culture of these relatively newly independent nations are closely intertwined with that of the Empire. _

_Ferelden saw the Fifth Blight, and ended it, with the help of two mages, one an apostate and the other, a Senior Enchanter. In return, Warden-Commander Queen Lucilla Theirin, nee Cousland, and her husband, King Alistair Theirin, granted Fereldan mages freedom from the Chantry. However, nothing became of this. The Warden-Commander contented herself to conscripting apostates into the Grey Wardens in order to save them from the Chantry, while the King could only do so much to save his wife from criticism by the clerics. They ultimately proved useless to mage freedom, and only offered mages another chain with which to strangle themselves. _

_It is to be remembered that the Warden-Commander, Queen Lucilla, is a noble just like any other. She clings to power just like any other noble, and for her to continue holding her position, she **needs **Chantry support. And even more so her husband. _

The elegant script writes on the margin:_ (A, I'm striking this paragraph out. We don't have to include musings on politics here. And I thought you yourself were conscripted by and friends with the Queen Warden? Also, remember Aldenon who helped King Calenhad's rise to power.–AH)_

_Orlais, the seat of power in Southern Thedas, is even worse. While the Empress appoints a Court Mage from the Circle in Val Royeaux or Montsimmard, the position is in truth nothing more than a court jester. Nobles in their Game do not care at all for mages, and use them, just like they do the elves and other lesser subjects of Orlais. In the White Spire, Templars run unchecked, and mages content themselves to being sheep readied for slaughter. They vie like crabs in a bucket for high positions within the Circle, never really knowing that those positions are empty. They do not care about their brethren, or about their freedom, and only pathetically imitate The Game of their nobles. _

_But the Free Marches probably boasts of the worst treatment for mages. The Circle in Starkhaven burned to the ground, with the Templars there blaming the mages without any investigation whatsoever. Prince Goran Vael also did not bother investigating the cause of death of many of his own subjects. But it is curious that the Vael dynasty has always been pious. _

_There is nothing much to say about the Circle in Ostwick, indicating that the mages there are just as oppressed as their counterparts in other Marcher cities. _

The elegant script writes on the margin: (_A, shouldn't we research more about Ostwick? Let's find and interview mages, Circle and apostate, from that city.–AH)_

_Kirkwall, however, probably has the most terrible situation of all. Mages of Kirkwall can be punished with the Rite of Tranquility for being raped by a Templar, or by reading "forbidden" tomes which are found in their library anyway. One of its Templars, Ser Alrik, has even proposed that they exercise the Rite on all mages, without distinction. And while Chantry law forbids the punishment of Tranquility for Harrowed mages, Kirkwall Templars do it anyway. _

The elegant script writes again on the margin: (_A, you are not being fair. Alrik's plan was denied by Meredith, Elthina, even Beatrix herself! We would hurt our cause more if we lied or even exaggerated. We owe the unadulterated truth to our fellows, and to the world.-AH)_

* * *

Cullen wonders why Tevinter is not mentioned by Hawke or her blighted lover. Is it because Hawke has wanted to do more research, but Anders wanted immediate action? And could it be that they—or at least, Hawke—wanted to find a compromise between the Chantry and the mages? After all, Hawke has written about the compromise in Nevarra and Rivain. And she didn't massacre what is left of the Kirkwall Templars…

* * *

**A/N:** "Let a hundred flowers bloom, let a thousand schools of thought contend" is from Chairman Mao Zedong during his Hundred Flowers Campaign. It by itself is a very beautiful quote, but history as it's written tells us that the Chairman and the Communist Party used it for less than innocent purposes.

The things I wrote about the various nations are my colorful rendition of codexes and the Wiki. Divine Faustine I is my invention.

Many thanks for the reviews, concrit and support! Feedback makes plot bunnies breed.


	4. 4 - Hawke

**Chapter 4 – Hawke**

"Anna, a discussion of mage rights includes a discussion of the Chantry, and a discussion of the Chantry is a discussion of politics!" Anders screamed, left hand clutching their manuscript, right hand punching a vase for emphasis.

The vase shattered, and its five red roses fell to the floor.

"And you, Anders, have no need to destroy my things to prove a point!" Anna retorted.

She picked up the flowers and went out of their bedroom. "I can't be around you now, Anders!"

Anna retreated to the kitchen. She filled a mug with water and placed her flowers in it.

"Enchantment?" a voice whispered from behind her.

"You heard that, huh?" she asked Sandal.

The boy blinked at her.

"It's enchantment of the worst kind, Sandal, the worst kind," she said softly. "I'm sorry if we woke you up again. Let me make a nice cup of tea, yes?"

"Enchantment!" Sandal said excitedly.

"I'm the one who should be sorry," Anders said as he entered the kitchen. "Let _me_ make the tea."

Anders made tea for three, but when he finished, Sandal had gone, and Anna was staring at the table.

"Anna, I'm so sorry," Anders said. He covered his face in his hands and wept. "I'm so sorry, Anna. You deserve better. If you want me to go, I'll go away, forever."

Anna looked up at Anders and held his hands. "Anders, it's not your fault," she said.

"It is, Anna, it is," he sobbed. "Don't make excuses for me. It's all my fault. I'm losing my _mind_, Anna, I'm losing it. One moment I'm fine, the next I'm not. I can't control it. I can't control _him_. What if I snap at one of my patients? What if I hurt you?"

"Shh, love," Anna cooed. "You just need to control yourself. We'll talk about things in the morning."

"I thought you had to meet Meredith tomorrow morning?" Anders asked.

"Meredith can wait for all I care," Anna replied with a kiss, desperately hoping that everything would be all right.

She led him by the hand to their bedroom.

And in the morning, Anders offered a new red rose to Anna—as he did every morning after they had fought. Anna added it to her bouquet.

* * *

An elegant, level script wrote:

**_Chapter 4. Position of the Movement for Mages' Rights_**

_The previous chapters have established the history of Thedas in relation to the balance of power between the Chantry, the nobility, and the mages. But only now do mages consciously struggle for the recognition of their rights as free men and women. Before now, there has been no unified voice for us, not one from any of the long line of Grand Enchanter or First Enchanters of all the Circles. And no one from the apostates, not since the time of Aldenon of Ferelden, who helped King Calenhad to power, stood up for the right of mages to be free from Chantry interference. _

_But no more. _

_ We declare that the mages need to be free from the Chantry. _

_We declare that the mages need to learn about their power, in its fullness and its dangers, its temptations and its allure, with the full support of fellow mages and their loved ones. _

_We declare that the mages can govern themselves, police themselves, discipline themselves according to laws which they have made for themselves and are suited for themselves and the world around them, including non-mages regardless of race. _

_We declare that when the Prophet said "Magic is meant to serve man, and never to rule over him," She meant that magic is a mere tool that should never be used to dominate others. This is why we condone blood magic, and any other magic devised to control the minds and bodies of others. _

_We declare that we need to stand up for our rights, and together, **clamor for our freedom**. _

_We want the ruling powers of Thedas to know that we are asking for our rights. _

_In all of our movements, we bring to the front, as the leading issue, **the futility and cruelty of binding mages to the will of the Chantry and the vindictiveness of the Templars. **_

_**We demand justice for all mages**: for every child ripped from their parents, for every spouse ripped from their partner, for every man, woman and child ripped from their life, only to be chained and treated as less than animals, feared and loathed by an unfair, prejudiced Chantry. _

* * *

"Has Bodahn brought the manuscript to the publisher?" Anders asked.

It was a fine, starry night, and the two were taking the time to walk home. Anders had asked her to talk with the Grand Cleric earlier. Anna took the opportunity to beseech Elthina to take action in the mess between Orsino and Meredith. But the old woman was stubborn, so, so stubborn. As stubborn as Anders, Hawke thought, and she wanted no discussion about _that_.

"Yes, darling. He says that we'll have the copies early next week," Anna answered. "We also made the necessary bribes to ensure silence."

"You and Bodahn?" he asked.

"No, me and Varric," Anna said, a touch of humor to her voice. "Nobody would suspect the publisher of _Hard in Hightown_ to be involved in seditious writings, not when Varric's churning out bestsellers."

"Fair point," he chuckled. He felt a little guilty for having inserted a last page in the manuscript, one which Anna did not know about. One of the things he _had_ to hide from her, he thought.

"I'm so proud of you for finishing the Manifesto, Anders," Anna whispered. She was so grateful for a night of sanity and joviality with Anders. Maker knew how rare this was.

"I couldn't have done it without you," Anders answered, truthfully this time.

"You still believe that the mages' rights are tied to the ruling classes, then?" Anna inquired.

"Yes, of course," Anders said. His eyes glowed blue.

"No, Justice, this time we'll have a decent conversation!" Hawke said, suddenly menacing.

Anders's eyes returned to normal. "I'm sorry, darling," he said. "I don't know why I often lose… control."

"Just answer my question," Anna said. "And you can tell Justice that we are trying to help mages, not oppose them."

"Yes, Anna, mages' rights are tied to the ruling classes," Anders answered quickly. "_You_ see how it is here in Kirkwall where true political power is tied to the Templars and the Chantry. _I_ saw how it was in Ferelden, when the Chantry denied the order of the King and Queen to recognize mage independence. In Nevarra and Rivain, mages are revered because their leaders value their power. Think about it, Anna. If we remove the powers-that-be who refuse mages their rights, and replace them with those who would see us as equals—"

"Anders, you're talking about removing Heads of State," Anna answered. "The system wouldn't change necessarily. You saw how the Arishok beheading Viscount Dumar only enraged the populace, and did nothing to endear the Qun to the people. You saw the King and Queen of Ferelden themselves, you saw how they value mages. But even they couldn't change culture overnight."

"Not overnight, no," Anders conceded. "But are you so sure of the Arishok? You remember the assassin Tallis. How many more like her, elves who have nothing else, do you think are about, spying for the Qun because they believe it offers them more than what human society does?"

"The Qun has its appeals, true," Anna said, as they approach the door. "But even they had to wait several generations for their teachings to take root. Do you have the keys?"

"My head hurts, Anna, can you open the door?" he said as he handed her the keys.

Anna opened the door. It was dark, but with a snap of her fingers, the chandelier lit up.

"Our triumph is near, my darling," Anders said brightly. Unusually so. "Mages will be free. I know it. Our actions will bear fruit, sweet fruit."

"Kirkwall trees bear strange fruit then, with blood on their leaves and at the root," Anna answered. "Mages and Templars alike have their bodies swinging in the breeze, fruit for the crows to pluck. I thought you had a headache?"

"I need to go to bed now, love," he said. "And then I have to go to the clinic very early. I've been neglecting my patients."

The next few days were relatively peaceful. Hawke did not summon Anders for any of her errands, knowing that his patients needed him more. But she did note that whenever he was home, his voice was slurred, he barely ate, and did not care for her at all. Well, she thought, better catatonic silence than endless fights. At least that had a touch of peace.

Until Hawke received word from a frantic messenger about the last argument that Orsino and Meredith had.

* * *

Hawke sided with the mages, defending them to the death. She gave her companions the choice to stay or leave, and only Sebastian left. The Prince threatened that he would invade Kirkwall with all the might of Starkhaven, because she had refused him Anders's head. Fenris scowled, as usual, but did not leave her side during battle. Aveline left for a moment to rally the guards, but appeared at the last minute with her husband to fight for Hawke, against a mad Orsino and even madder Meredith. Carver appeared too, and helped her run away, before going back to the Wardens. And the most surprising of all, the Knight-Captain Cullen had defended her from Meredith and allowed her and Anders to leave Kirkwall afterward.

But in the end, only Anders remained at her side. Or, maybe, only _she_ remained by Anders's side.

"I do not blame you for what you did, Anders," Anna said as the two made their escape. "It could have gone better… but I understand it."

"There is no Justice in this world, Anna," Anders countered, a wild look in his glowing eyes. "Not unless we make it."

Hawke cast a last stare at Kirkwall, and recited a poem she had inserted in the Manifesto:

"Kirkwall trees bear strange fruit,  
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root.  
Mages' and Templars' bodies swinging in the breeze,  
Strange fruit from the poplar trees.  
Here is the fruit for the crows to pluck,  
For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck,  
For the sun to rot, for the trees to drop,  
Here is a strange and bitter crop."

* * *

**A/N:** Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit" is a beautiful song, and I apologize for using it in a slightly different context. Also, the "no justice in the world, not unless we make it" quote is unashamedly ripped off from Littlefinger's line to Sansa Stark in "Game of Thrones" episode "High Sparrow."

I'm moving this fic up to M rating because (1) this has what can be considered psychological violence towards a domestic partner. Nothing in this fic, or any other of my writings, indicate that it's all right to break things in order to emphasize a point when one is having an intense argument with their partner. (2) Desiring justice is well and all, but using violence to attain it is very much debatable.


	5. 5 - Cullen - Epilogue

**Epilogue – Cullen**

Cullen has thought that the Manifesto ended with Hawke's poem "Strange Fruit." But in another page, in a heavy hand, is written,

_The Movement for Mages' Rights disdain to conceal its views and aims. __We openly declare that our ends, which is __**justice for all mages**__, can be attained only by the __**forcible overthrow of all existing social conditions.**_

_Let the Chantry and its minions tremble at the Mages' Revolution. The mages have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. _

**_MAGES OF THEDAS, UNITE!_**

"Maker," the Templar sighs. "Anders really lost it. How could have Hawke loved him?"

Cullen stares at the book for what seems to be an eternity. He can only conclude that the question of love and madness cannot be answered in this book.

What he knows from the Manifesto is that Hawke wanted a peaceful solution. But Anders grew tired.

Hawke has taken pains to write her own views about the mages, as if to guide her co-writer to accept her gentler views. But Anders' madness seems to have been too much for either of them to overcome.

Several pages fall from the Manifesto, and he picks them up. He's decided to take the manuscript with him, and ponder on their meaning. And while he's not keen on publishing it—he has little doubt that the Champion has done that anyway—he would not let the demands of the mages be utterly forgotten.

Anders has blown up the Chantry, insisting that there is no compromise between the mages and the Chantry. Anna, however, probably thinks that there is still a way for mages and the rest of society can live together in harmony. That is why she has spared Cullen and the other Templars. And that is why she opted to leave, maybe. To fight for the mages' rights, but also to find peace in society where they all live.

But the mages are not totally without fault. Orsino tolerated forbidden magic, encouraged it, succumbed to it during his last breath. The maleficar who killed Hawke's own mother too, deserved the Rite, and even Hawke would probably agree. Most of the Starkhaven Circle survivors, turned to forbidden magic, as they claim, "in order to survive." Really? Blood magic is forbidden for a very good reason—Anders himself knows how dreadful it is to have someone else in one's mind.

Cullen also does not forget the nightmare in Kinloch Hold. Uldred's depravity, Solona's death. His and his friends' slow and fatal torture, Beval's especially. He knows that he will never be fully free from the trauma.

"Blessed are they who stand before the corrupt and the wicked and do not falter. Blessed are the peacekeepers, the champions of the just," Cullen chants. One, two, three fat tears escape, and he no longer holds his tears. "Who are the wicked, Maker, who are the corrupt? Hear my prayer, my Maker, send me wisdom. Give your servant an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil."

* * *

Three years later, the Right Hand of the Divine comes to him with an interesting offer. The Knight-Commander resigns his position, and seizes the chance to right certain wrongs.

* * *

And when Inquisitor Evelyn Marie Antoinette Trevelyan asks him if he's read _The Mages' Manifesto_, he surprises her by telling her yes, he has the original manuscript even, the one written in their hand, and yes, he once knew the man and woman behind it.

"I thought it was only Anders who wrote it," she says over tea. "Did you confiscate it?"

"No, Hawke left the original manuscript in her house," Cullen answers. "Maybe she left it there on purpose. She wrote a huge part of it. She wanted to find a way to have the mages freed peacefully, after all. And maybe... the Maker intended me to read it when and where I did. "

"That explains the discrepancy," Evie says. "One chapter says we mages could coexist with you non-mages peacefully, the next says that we should burn the Chantry and behead the Empress."

"I wish that they never saw the need to write it," Cullen sighs. "That is why I said yes to Seeker Pentaghast when she recruited me for the Inquisition."

Evie cups his face and looks him in the eye. "One Templar could not have eradicated centuries of oppression, Cullen."

"Yes, but one ranking Templar, such as myself, could have stood up to those oppressive measures, taken it up to the Divine and the Lord Seeker," he replies sadly. "Not that the mages were without fault, mind. Some practiced blood magic, hurt others, to pursue their goals. Some of those goals were noble, some selfish. It made me think that there are a lot of things wrong and evil on both sides."

"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable," Evie answers. She clutches Cullen's hand firmly and kisses it. "The Chantry, the mages, the nobles, the commoners, _everybody_, needed a wake-up call, beloved. And now the Maker has granted the Inquisition a chance to sow the seeds of peace and of tolerance. We will not squander it."

* * *

**A/N:** The "peaceful revolution" quote is from JFK's Address on the First Anniversary of the Alliance for Progress. Cullen's "give your servant" prayer is the first part of 1 Kings 3:9, ESV, which is Solomon's prayer to God the night before the king had to judge between two women arguing over a baby.

The Inquisitor here is no other than Lady Evie from "The Quickest Way to Their Hearts."

Thank you so much for reading, reviewing, and sending other feedback! :)


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